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Will I Be Able To Use Any Phone With Verizon Soon?

post #1 of 11
6/6/10 at 11:47pm
Thread Starter 
I went to the Verizon store today and the sales person mentioned that I will be able to buy any phone and use it with the Verizon network after the new year.

Any truth to this?
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post #2 of 11
6/7/10 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tck13 View Post
I went to the Verizon store today and the sales person mentioned that I will be able to buy any phone and use it with the Verizon network after the new year.

Any truth to this?

no.

Well mostly no.

They came out a couple of years ago and said they were willing to do an open network, which basically meant that anyone who could design a phone (and have it tested on VZW) would be allowed to sell it and use it on their network. hwoever, since Verizon uses CDMA not GSM there is little reason to develop an open phone. Right now all CDMA phones are locked via their ESN to a certain carrier.

see this article:

http://www.intomobile.com/2009/01/06...p-service.html


Now the rep may have been misrepresenting the LTE (like 4g) roll out that is probably on its way. That will be a new standard replacing 'CDMA' which should restandardize the phones. But in practice this is like 3-5 years away.
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post #3 of 11
6/7/10 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgold47 View Post
no.

Well mostly no.

They came out a couple of years ago and said they were willing to do an open network, which basically meant that anyone who could design a phone (and have it tested on VZW) would be allowed to sell it and use it on their network. hwoever, since Verizon uses CDMA not GSM there is little reason to develop an open phone. Right now all CDMA phones are locked via their ESN to a certain carrier.

see this article:

http://www.intomobile.com/2009/01/06...p-service.html


Now the rep may have been misrepresenting the LTE (like 4g) roll out that is probably on its way. That will be a new standard replacing 'CDMA' which should restandardize the phones. But in practice this is like 3-5 years away.

Thanks, I'll check out the article.

And about the GSM, that's exactly what the salesman was saying. Something like Verizon will be starting a GSM network (therefore improving on what other cell carriers already have) and then they'd be able to support any phone.

I wish this would happen. From what I understand, this is the way it is in Europe.
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post #4 of 11
6/7/10 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tck13 View Post
Thanks, I'll check out the article.

And about the GSM, that's exactly what the salesman was saying. Something like Verizon will be starting a GSM network (therefore improving on what other cell carriers already have) and then they'd be able to support any phone.

I wish this would happen. From what I understand, this is the way it is in Europe.



I would be willing to put money on this never ever ever happening. Verizon is married to the CDMA standard.

Europe/Asia (and other parts of the world) use GSM. Candidly its superior in most respects as a technology. the other side of it is that the business model in GSM countries is more tied to the phone, not the service. While some carrier locking occurs, you are much more likely to pay 4-500 for a phone that does exactly what its advertised to do, can work on any network in any GSM country and the service plan is an after thought. in the US, the carriers subsidize the cost of the phone with contracts, ad ons, etc and are a much more service centric model.
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post #5 of 11
6/7/10 at 9:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgold47 View Post
I would be willing to put money on this never ever ever happening. Verizon is married to the CDMA standard.

Europe/Asia (and other parts of the world) use GSM. Candidly its superior in most respects as a technology. the other side of it is that the business model in GSM countries is more tied to the phone, not the service. While some carrier locking occurs, you are much more likely to pay 4-500 for a phone that does exactly what its advertised to do, can work on any network in any GSM country and the service plan is an after thought. in the US, the carriers subsidize the cost of the phone with contracts, ad ons, etc and are a much more service centric model.

Thanks!
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post #6 of 11
6/8/10 at 12:37am
Verizon's plans are super expensive
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post #7 of 11
6/8/10 at 2:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgold47 View Post
I would be willing to put money on this never ever ever happening. Verizon is married to the CDMA standard.

Actually Vzw is implementing a GSM-protocol LTE (Long Term Evolution).
Rumored a long time ago, but I hear major markets will see it begin to be rolled out early 2011.
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post #8 of 11
6/8/10 at 10:18am
Verizon stinks.
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post #9 of 11
6/8/10 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by magogian12345 View Post
Verizon stinks.

What do they smell like?






I couldn't pass it up!
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post #10 of 11
6/8/10 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
Actually Vzw is implementing a GSM-protocol LTE (Long Term Evolution).
Rumored a long time ago, but I hear major markets will see it begin to be rolled out early 2011.

I think I said that further up. LTE is not GSM as we know it. Its an evolution, but to say that you could buy a phone unlocked GSM 900/1900 and use it on LTE I believe is untrue. But I dont know enough about it to be certain.
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post #11 of 11
6/8/10 at 6:47pm
^I think you are correct that LTE is not backward-compatible.
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