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“Though the latest report Thursday by Taipei’s Economic Daily News does not insinuate that the alleged Qualcomm design win will lead to a CDMA (Verizon or Sprint) iPhone, there have been other anecdotal pieces of evidence to that end, like AppleInsider’s discovery of a cryptic ‘iPhone developer guru’ job posting on the Qualcomm website in August,” AppleInsider reports. “Meanwhile, that same report also claims knowledge of over a half-dozen other iPhone 5 and iPad 2 component suppliers.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Apple is not, will not, develop a CDMA iPhone. Ever.
Apple is not, will not, develop a CDMA iPhone. Ever.
Keep guessing, the publicity can never hurt.
Keep guessing, the publicity can never hurt.
Greg,
Apple has developed a CDMA phone long ago, and has been testing it. There is no reason why they wouldn’t do it. CDMA is not the dominant mobile technology today (GSM is), but neither is it marginal. Currently, I believe it represents almost 20% of global mobile addressable market, and a lot of it is in developed (US) or developing (Latin America, China) world. No company would every purposely ignore 20% of your possible market if the costs to address that market are negligible. Let us not forget, other handset makers have been making CDMA phones for a very long time, and many of their models were offered in two flavours (GSM and CDMA). Implementing the CDMA radio chip in a mobile phone has been done many times. Apple does NOT need to re-invent the wheel on this one. The components aren’t much more expensive than the GSM ones.
The only issue related to CDMA may be the proper implementation of the standard. Under most common implementation, it is not possible to use voice and data at the same time. However, this is not the limitation of carriers’ networks; it is just the way handsets implement the technology. All Apple needs to do is implement CDMA properly to enable simultaneous voice and data.
I can see the previously CDMA iPhones going to the Chinese market, as one of their major operators has a large CDMA network.
Greg,
Apple has developed a CDMA phone long ago, and has been testing it. There is no reason why they wouldn’t do it. CDMA is not the dominant mobile technology today (GSM is), but neither is it marginal. Currently, I believe it represents almost 20% of global mobile addressable market, and a lot of it is in developed (US) or developing (Latin America, China) world. No company would every purposely ignore 20% of your possible market if the costs to address that market are negligible. Let us not forget, other handset makers have been making CDMA phones for a very long time, and many of their models were offered in two flavours (GSM and CDMA). Implementing the CDMA radio chip in a mobile phone has been done many times. Apple does NOT need to re-invent the wheel on this one. The components aren’t much more expensive than the GSM ones.
The only issue related to CDMA may be the proper implementation of the standard. Under most common implementation, it is not possible to use voice and data at the same time. However, this is not the limitation of carriers’ networks; it is just the way handsets implement the technology. All Apple needs to do is implement CDMA properly to enable simultaneous voice and data.
I can see the previously CDMA iPhones going to the Chinese market, as one of their major operators has a large CDMA network.
Predrag is right, and all of this goes to explain why we won’t be seeing Sprint or Verizon iPhones until some major changes happen among the American cellular carriers.
Verizon has a network that is robust enough to handle iPhones, but they are holding out for more money and control. There are no signs that those policies have changed.
Sprint would probably meet Apple’s terms for money and control, but its network is not robust enough to handle the demands that the iPhone would place upon it. The scattershot way the company is deploying 4G technology does not create a lot of confidence that Sprint’s philosophy of network expansion will change anytime soon.
Predrag is right, and all of this goes to explain why we won’t be seeing Sprint or Verizon iPhones until some major changes happen among the American cellular carriers.
Verizon has a network that is robust enough to handle iPhones, but they are holding out for more money and control. There are no signs that those policies have changed.
Sprint would probably meet Apple’s terms for money and control, but its network is not robust enough to handle the demands that the iPhone would place upon it. The scattershot way the company is deploying 4G technology does not create a lot of confidence that Sprint’s philosophy of network expansion will change anytime soon.
The technical problems of making a CDMA phone is not the problem.
The problem is confusion for the user. Apple doesn’t like giving you too many choices (because you may choose that you don’t need an iPhone at all!)
Apple won’t sell a CDMA phone, not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to.
The technical problems of making a CDMA phone is not the problem.
The problem is confusion for the user. Apple doesn’t like giving you too many choices (because you may choose that you don’t need an iPhone at all!)
Apple won’t sell a CDMA phone, not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to.
Nah: That argument is pure BS. Why does the new Chinese iPhone have WAPI as its WiFi protocol? Because the non-WiFi version didn’t sell very well.
A CDMA iPhone would not be confusing, except for CDMA carriers to explain why they can’t handle simultaneous voice and data transmission.
Nah: That argument is pure BS. Why does the new Chinese iPhone have WAPI as its WiFi protocol? Because the non-WiFi version didn’t sell very well.
A CDMA iPhone would not be confusing, except for CDMA carriers to explain why they can’t handle simultaneous voice and data transmission.
I think they need to have a CDMA iPhone – Apple will do two things:
1. sell more iphones. always a plus.
2. Carriers will compete for iPhone pricing models (if you pay less for the same service, you are more satisfied, and more likely to buy another iphone, which apple will sell to you.)
So, i dont see any reason why apple wont do this as soon as the AT&T exclusivity deal expires.
I think they need to have a CDMA iPhone – Apple will do two things:
1. sell more iphones. always a plus.
2. Carriers will compete for iPhone pricing models (if you pay less for the same service, you are more satisfied, and more likely to buy another iphone, which apple will sell to you.)
So, i dont see any reason why apple wont do this as soon as the AT&T exclusivity deal expires.
Help me here, is CDMA analog and GSM digital? I confess ignorance on these matters, but someone told me that’s the way it is. Japanese cell companies use mostly CDMA (au, etc.), but Softbank in Japan is GSM and the only company there with iPhone.
For me, I sure wish Sprint would/could expand its network and would get the iPhone – offer iPhone with pay-as-you-go data plan or something like iPad type plan… some day, I too will buy an iPhone. But, not until I can get one without the mandatory data plan.
Help me here, is CDMA analog and GSM digital? I confess ignorance on these matters, but someone told me that’s the way it is. Japanese cell companies use mostly CDMA (au, etc.), but Softbank in Japan is GSM and the only company there with iPhone.
For me, I sure wish Sprint would/could expand its network and would get the iPhone – offer iPhone with pay-as-you-go data plan or something like iPad type plan… some day, I too will buy an iPhone. But, not until I can get one without the mandatory data plan.
@”IDon’tKnow”, Both are digital, but GSM is a SIM based system that can use WCDMA technology (as both AT&T & T-Mobile do).
@ Predrag, both of the major Chinese wireless providers are GSM. They don’t have a “major” provider that I’m aware of that uses CDMA. Not to say that they don’t have CDMA in China. I know that they do, but Apple chose China Unicom because of it’s GSM. Although they could have gone with China Mobile too who is also GSM.
@”IDon’tKnow”, Both are digital, but GSM is a SIM based system that can use WCDMA technology (as both AT&T & T-Mobile do).
@ Predrag, both of the major Chinese wireless providers are GSM. They don’t have a “major” provider that I’m aware of that uses CDMA. Not to say that they don’t have CDMA in China. I know that they do, but Apple chose China Unicom because of it’s GSM. Although they could have gone with China Mobile too who is also GSM.
@steve32465
China Mobile uses TD-SCDMA for its 3G service, which is not the same as either CDMA2000 EV-DO (used by Verizon and Sprint) or WCDMA (used by many GSM carriers). The technology is specific to China. It would require a new iPhone design.
@steve32465
China Mobile uses TD-SCDMA for its 3G service, which is not the same as either CDMA2000 EV-DO (used by Verizon and Sprint) or WCDMA (used by many GSM carriers). The technology is specific to China. It would require a new iPhone design.
Thanks for the education, Predrag. I had thought that the CDMA protocol precluded simultaneous voice and data. If it is merely the implementation on the phone, then Apple can do that. SJ might even take that as a challenge. Besides, he is probably getting tired of the Android copycats.
Thanks for the education, Predrag. I had thought that the CDMA protocol precluded simultaneous voice and data. If it is merely the implementation on the phone, then Apple can do that. SJ might even take that as a challenge. Besides, he is probably getting tired of the Android copycats.