What Mobile / "Cell" Phone Do You Own?!
- Thread starter ~~NeYo~~
- Start date
AdmiralAK
Simply Daemonic
CDMA STINKs roaylly 
it has no support for SIM cards and you need to activate your phone everytime you get a new one...not to mention that you cannot take it with you on your travels.... bah..CDMA .. what is it good for? absolutelly nothing
as for the phone fetish... naaahhh... I am a technology freak, so I like to try the new things
btw... GSM ROCKS
it has no support for SIM cards and you need to activate your phone everytime you get a new one...not to mention that you cannot take it with you on your travels.... bah..CDMA .. what is it good for? absolutelly nothing as for the phone fetish... naaahhh... I am a technology freak, so I like to try the new things
btw... GSM ROCKS
I'm in the US and I've found GSM is great in the cities and on the interstates. (At least in the region where I live, the Southeast). I've also had no problem when I fly anywhere in the US too, it always works when I step off a plane. And I can't wait to take my world phone to Europe with me next month.
GSM Rules.
GSM Rules.
kendall
Registered
i dunno, shiny buttons and colored screens are lost on me. if i cant go 10 miles from my house without losing my signal then whats the point of having a mobile phone? this is what GSM and t-mobile get you through most of the US.
and this is why CDMA rocks in the US. your mobile is a phone, its first function should be phoning and CDMA networks put GSM to shame.
and this is why CDMA rocks in the US. your mobile is a phone, its first function should be phoning and CDMA networks put GSM to shame.
This is true, but it all depends on how and where you use your phone. There are quite a few people out there who rarely leave cities, so the coverage in rural areas doesn't matter. For me I rarely ever leave the city/suburbia. The only place I go that I can't get coverage is my grandmother's in northern Mississippi.
Also the CDMA map you posted also includes alot of TDMA. See the fine print to the right of the map. Preferred roaming list required. So in essence you may still have a signal but no digital, no voicemail, and sometimes your calls don't even come into your phone. (based on my parents experience. A more truthful CDMA map would be sprint's map which doesn't include most rural areas.
Also, lets not forget that both Cingular and AT&T are switching to GSM. So the coverage I'll admit is lacking however with those other two companies behind the technology it shan't be for long.
Also the CDMA map you posted also includes alot of TDMA. See the fine print to the right of the map. Preferred roaming list required. So in essence you may still have a signal but no digital, no voicemail, and sometimes your calls don't even come into your phone. (based on my parents experience. A more truthful CDMA map would be sprint's map which doesn't include most rural areas.
Also, lets not forget that both Cingular and AT&T are switching to GSM. So the coverage I'll admit is lacking however with those other two companies behind the technology it shan't be for long.
kenny
Registered
I think you're ignoring the fact that T-mobile is not the only GSM provider in the US. There's also Cingular and AT&T (as well as quite a number of others). Having a look 'round Cingular's site reveals a map titled "map_nation_dcs_gsm_09_27_02.gif":
This is probably a cumulative map, including all GSM providers in the US. On GSM, the concept of roaming is different than CDMA/TDMA. In fact, when I was on Sprint, there were a number of places, along interstates, where the phone would drop to analog roaming. This is a particularly big beef I have with Sprint. If you come off their CDMA network, you're running analog. This is because all the phones they offer, while being technically capable of roaming on other CDMA networks, are lobotomized so that they will only talk to Sprint's CDMA network. Because of this exclusionary behaviour, Verizon phones can't roam on Sprint's network either. So, although CDMA coverage looks good, you get burned really quickly on the lack of provider interoperability.
With GSM, most/all of the US providers are working together to ensure a much more seamless picture. I can 'roam' on AT&T, T-Mobile, Powertel (Atlanta), whatever. I'm not locked in to my provider's network. As a result, I really have yet to find anywhere in my travels that puts me completely off the GSM networks in the US (yes, there are reception holes here and there, but general coverage is generally good). Your mileage will, naturally, vary.
Of course, there's the question of what the rest of the world is using, and where can I take my phone and have it work. GSM is really the only choice if I want to do that (and I do do that). And, let's not forget that the snazzy new 3G services that are being made available now are based on being on GSM/GPRS networks. Verizon/Sprint may offer their own versions of 3G, but they're swimming upstream against what is being done in the rest of the mobile industry.
This whole mess reminds me of a number of years ago with different computer networking technologies. We had Appletalk, XNS, IPX, NetBios, DecNET, etc., all running on Ethernet. Each had they're own vendor lock-ins, and interoperabilty between them was abysmal. TCP/IP was around, but I don't think that, in those days, anyone was really sure that it was going anywhere. Vendor support was spotty at best. Fast-forward 15-20 years, and everybody's doing TCP/IP, with things like CUPS, CIFS, HTTP, etc.. I think the mobile industry is in the same situation right now.
Given that much of the rest of the planet is doing GSM very widely, and that it doesn't force the same kinds of vendor lock-in that CDMA/TDMA has, my money is on GSM being the TCP/IP of the mobile industry over the next 5 years or so...
This is probably a cumulative map, including all GSM providers in the US. On GSM, the concept of roaming is different than CDMA/TDMA. In fact, when I was on Sprint, there were a number of places, along interstates, where the phone would drop to analog roaming. This is a particularly big beef I have with Sprint. If you come off their CDMA network, you're running analog. This is because all the phones they offer, while being technically capable of roaming on other CDMA networks, are lobotomized so that they will only talk to Sprint's CDMA network. Because of this exclusionary behaviour, Verizon phones can't roam on Sprint's network either. So, although CDMA coverage looks good, you get burned really quickly on the lack of provider interoperability.
With GSM, most/all of the US providers are working together to ensure a much more seamless picture. I can 'roam' on AT&T, T-Mobile, Powertel (Atlanta), whatever. I'm not locked in to my provider's network. As a result, I really have yet to find anywhere in my travels that puts me completely off the GSM networks in the US (yes, there are reception holes here and there, but general coverage is generally good). Your mileage will, naturally, vary.
Of course, there's the question of what the rest of the world is using, and where can I take my phone and have it work. GSM is really the only choice if I want to do that (and I do do that). And, let's not forget that the snazzy new 3G services that are being made available now are based on being on GSM/GPRS networks. Verizon/Sprint may offer their own versions of 3G, but they're swimming upstream against what is being done in the rest of the mobile industry.
This whole mess reminds me of a number of years ago with different computer networking technologies. We had Appletalk, XNS, IPX, NetBios, DecNET, etc., all running on Ethernet. Each had they're own vendor lock-ins, and interoperabilty between them was abysmal. TCP/IP was around, but I don't think that, in those days, anyone was really sure that it was going anywhere. Vendor support was spotty at best. Fast-forward 15-20 years, and everybody's doing TCP/IP, with things like CUPS, CIFS, HTTP, etc.. I think the mobile industry is in the same situation right now.
Given that much of the rest of the planet is doing GSM very widely, and that it doesn't force the same kinds of vendor lock-in that CDMA/TDMA has, my money is on GSM being the TCP/IP of the mobile industry over the next 5 years or so...
kilowatt
mach-o mach-o man
Handsprint Treo 300 with Sprint PCS.
I get unlimited data on my $40/month plan, here's what I use it for:
upIRC: Internet Relay Chat, I admin and hang out on irc.lfnet.net, #kilonet
ssh: I can secure shell to all my unix box's and keep things up and running. Terminal emmulation is great too, especially for such a small device.
email: Eudora makes a free email client for PalmOS (this thing runs Palm OS 3.5.5). I had to set up my own smtp server because sprint doesn't provide one.
Web: EudoraWeb and Blazer are great browsers. Eudora for speed. Blazer for graphics (65,000 colors).
The Handsprint Treo runs $449 after a $50 rebate. Its color, has a built in *LIGHTED* keypad (QWERTY of course), and it can run most palm os programs, like that IR remote program)
Oh, its a nice phone too CDMA, no analog roam though.
Sprints coverage is about what you get with t-mobile: major cities, and most highways.
I love this thing to death, great device, something to do while you wait in line at the BMV for 2 hours.....
check it out at http://www.sprintpcs.com/ or http://www.handspring.com/enterprise/treo/faqs_treo300.jhtml
what really sets it apart though, is the qwerty keys, and the ability to run so many applications.
Do I work for sprint? Maybe.....
I get unlimited data on my $40/month plan, here's what I use it for:
upIRC: Internet Relay Chat, I admin and hang out on irc.lfnet.net, #kilonet
ssh: I can secure shell to all my unix box's and keep things up and running. Terminal emmulation is great too, especially for such a small device.
email: Eudora makes a free email client for PalmOS (this thing runs Palm OS 3.5.5). I had to set up my own smtp server because sprint doesn't provide one.
Web: EudoraWeb and Blazer are great browsers. Eudora for speed. Blazer for graphics (65,000 colors).
The Handsprint Treo runs $449 after a $50 rebate. Its color, has a built in *LIGHTED* keypad (QWERTY of course), and it can run most palm os programs, like that IR remote program
)Oh, its a nice phone too
CDMA, no analog roam though.Sprints coverage is about what you get with t-mobile: major cities, and most highways.
I love this thing to death, great device, something to do while you wait in line at the BMV for 2 hours.....
check it out at http://www.sprintpcs.com/ or http://www.handspring.com/enterprise/treo/faqs_treo300.jhtml
what really sets it apart though, is the qwerty keys, and the ability to run so many applications.
Do I work for sprint? Maybe.....
AdmiralAK
Simply Daemonic
lol.
I always love the fact that CDMA providers try to sckew their coverage area --- a lot of their coverage out in the boonies is still analog which means not data services whatsoever maybe under dial up. -- with T-Mobile what you see is what you get, all digital coverage
The USA is WAY too big to have everything covered with towers and coverage, imagine when "the next thing" comes along how many upgrades they will need to do, that is why in cities & towns you have good digital coverage, and out in the boonies you have analog if you use TDMA or CDMA
I always love the fact that CDMA providers try to sckew their coverage area
--- a lot of their coverage out in the boonies is still analog which means not data services whatsoever maybe under dial up. -- with T-Mobile what you see is what you get, all digital coverage The USA is WAY too big to have everything covered with towers and coverage, imagine when "the next thing" comes along how many upgrades they will need to do
, that is why in cities & towns you have good digital coverage, and out in the boonies you have analog if you use TDMA or CDMA
AdmiralAK
Simply Daemonic
BTW I also love the fact that CDMA and TDMA operators sell phones that support digital data features (i.e. SMS) but up until recently you had to either subscribe to them to even RECEIVE messages, and you could only send to people that had the same carrier as you did lol
at least with GSM I can send text messages to greece, germany, france, england italy, russia, singapore and any other GSM carrier for just 5cents a message lol and I can also receive!
Also the fact that GSM has SIM cards and I can get ANY phone I want, put my SIM in and in 10 seconds I have a new phone, same old number, same phonebook (no time wasted re-entering contacts), and bet of all the telecom doesnt need to know what phone i have and if I bought it from them. I have heard some horror stories from verizon and sprint customers that wanted to buy another phone but they could not sell them a phone because "they already had too many" hahahah -- or even better you already have the phone and it is compatible with the network, but you decided to change provider and you can activate it on yoru new provider because you did not buy the phone from them lol.
a no brainer when it comes to what company I choose for my wireless need
at least with GSM I can send text messages to greece, germany, france, england italy, russia, singapore and any other GSM carrier for just 5cents a message lol and I can also receive!
Also the fact that GSM has SIM cards and I can get ANY phone I want, put my SIM in and in 10 seconds I have a new phone, same old number, same phonebook (no time wasted re-entering contacts), and bet of all the telecom doesnt need to know what phone i have and if I bought it from them. I have heard some horror stories from verizon and sprint customers that wanted to buy another phone but they could not sell them a phone because "they already had too many" hahahah -- or even better you already have the phone and it is compatible with the network, but you decided to change provider and you can activate it on yoru new provider because you did not buy the phone from them lol.
a no brainer when it comes to what company I choose for my wireless need
kilowatt
mach-o mach-o man
AT&T is TDMA. Not GSM. Sorry. They're considering switching to GSM at the moment.
Ok, thats just not true. My treo doesn't even have analog mode. Yet, I can go into CDMA roam. Thats fairly standard on the sprint line. Whats getting rare, is a sprint phone with the analog ability.
again, false
AGAIN, not so. GSM may be more popular overseas, but, for example, the entire chinese government signed a 2 billion dollar contract with a CDMA provider to handle all wireless telacom in China.
GSM may be a more advanced method, but I think thats quite subjective.
chemistry_geek
Registered
About.com has some interesting reading about cell phones and the different types, i.e. CDMA, TDMA, GSM, analog, etc... When a cell phone goes roaming in analog mode, it REALLY burns up the batteries quickly. The cool thing about CDMA cell phones is that the carrier wave is actually part of the digital signal, that's why so many more calls can be handled with CDMA relative to the older technologies. I'm not boasting that it's the best, but it uses some ingenius features. Also, with CDMA, the signal broadcast from the towers contains EVERYONE's conversations in that local calling area on one frequency; the cell phone contains an electronic code/key that unlocks and filters out only the signal/conversation for your phone and throws the rest of it (other people's conversations) away. Another cool feature about CDMA cell phones is that the information being sent back and forth is digitally encrypted, something like 3 or 4 times before it is broadcast.
Kilowatt,
You are wrong on the fact that AT&T is going GSM. They are already selling GSM in some markets, although not where I live. When I was in orlando I was picking up their towers, but couldn't roam on them because t-mobile has no roaming agreement with them. Check AT&T website for gsm. They've got it in select markets. Also I'm sure you can Google AT&T GSM and easily find you are misinformed.
BTW, I'm posting this from my T-Mobile Sidekick at the mall. Something to do while the wife spends my money.....oops, our money
You are wrong on the fact that AT&T is going GSM. They are already selling GSM in some markets, although not where I live. When I was in orlando I was picking up their towers, but couldn't roam on them because t-mobile has no roaming agreement with them. Check AT&T website for gsm. They've got it in select markets. Also I'm sure you can Google AT&T GSM and easily find you are misinformed.
BTW, I'm posting this from my T-Mobile Sidekick at the mall. Something to do while the wife spends my money.....oops, our money
AdmiralAK
Simply Daemonic
Here is the 411 on Cingular, AT&T, and Rogers in canada:
They are not considering switching to GSM, they already have started the process, as a matter of fact it was started last summer
Currently almost all major markets have GSM and coverage is expanding to the coverage that TDMA has on each carrier's networks. Current GSM for AT&T that is operationg is on the 1900 band, however GSM 850 will be operational where AT&T has 850 licences.
The same goes for Rogers in canada.
For cingular, the entire california market is GSM, and other markets are building out GSM on the 850 band as far as I have heard. I know engineers for cingular that test this stuff and GSM 850 and 1900 is being built out however the general public is oblivious to the fact because they dont want to deal with angry customers not having signal so once the network becomes more "complete" they will let it out for commercial use.
As for GSM being popular only overseas here is something to consider: The european Union might have mandated GSM, however Western European nations, China, Southeast Asian countries, Countries in the Pacific ocean, North korean, india, russia and countries in africa and the middle east ALL CHOSE to go GSM
Even in countries where CDMA exists, like Canada, USA, China, GSM outnumbers the carriers or is on par with them
e.g.:
Canada:
CDMA: Bell & Telus
GSM: Fido, Rogers
USA:
CDMA: Verizon & Sprint
GSM: T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T
The only notable exceptions are korea (south) which is all CDMA BUT they are building out 3G GSM networks now as well, and Japan which is a self proclaimed testing ground for new technologies, which now at least 2/3 or 3/5 of teh networks are 3G GSM networks
Admiral
They are not considering switching to GSM, they already have started the process, as a matter of fact it was started last summer
Currently almost all major markets have GSM and coverage is expanding to the coverage that TDMA has on each carrier's networks. Current GSM for AT&T that is operationg is on the 1900 band, however GSM 850 will be operational where AT&T has 850 licences.
The same goes for Rogers in canada.
For cingular, the entire california market is GSM, and other markets are building out GSM on the 850 band as far as I have heard. I know engineers for cingular that test this stuff and GSM 850 and 1900 is being built out however the general public is oblivious to the fact because they dont want to deal with angry customers not having signal so once the network becomes more "complete" they will let it out for commercial use.
As for GSM being popular only overseas here is something to consider: The european Union might have mandated GSM, however Western European nations, China, Southeast Asian countries, Countries in the Pacific ocean, North korean, india, russia and countries in africa and the middle east ALL CHOSE to go GSM
Even in countries where CDMA exists, like Canada, USA, China, GSM outnumbers the carriers or is on par with them
e.g.:
Canada:
CDMA: Bell & Telus
GSM: Fido, Rogers
USA:
CDMA: Verizon & Sprint
GSM: T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T
The only notable exceptions are korea (south) which is all CDMA BUT they are building out 3G GSM networks now as well, and Japan which is a self proclaimed testing ground for new technologies, which now at least 2/3 or 3/5 of teh networks are 3G GSM networks
Admiral
Izzy
luv my lil' malteaser
This thread is making me feel inferior when it comes to my cell phone. I don't even know what kind it is. It's the phone you get when you sign up for a verizon wireless contract (black body flip-style phone).
I love having voice mail, but I wish I could send/receive text messages from/to my girlfriend in England.
I love having voice mail, but I wish I could send/receive text messages from/to my girlfriend in England.
Originally posted by ~~NeYo~~
The What?!
NeYo
Who knows why, but it's better than the old way...dialing 1-555-1212.
And you can't forget the others:
611 - Telephone repair
911 - Emergency