CDMA/GSM better than GSM alone?

S

simo g

New member
I just switched from Verizon to T-Mobile because I wanted to be able to use the same phone in the U.S. and abroad, along with SIM cards.

However the phone I got (Nokia 6133) doesn't have great sound quality, so I was going to replace it with another T-Mobile quad-band phone.

In the meantime Verizon called me up and said they offer combination CDMA/GSM with SIM cards (they don't really train the people at retail shops to tell you this) and that I would have to buy the phone but would get a 2-month credit if I switched back to them.

My question is: are combination CDMA/GSM phones better than plain GSM phones? I liked the sound quality of Verizon when I had it, and from what I've seen online CDMA is a better technology (more secure, and not just in the U.S. but also Latin America and Australia). From what I've read Verizon is supposed to have the best sound in the U.S., but T-Mobile is just as good *except* in the Northeast, where I am. (I'll be splitting time between here and Europe mainly.)

T-Mobile doesn't have any combo CDMA/GSM phones, so I would have to switch back to Verizon but that's ok. Essentially I want to best quality sound and compatibility in the U.S. and Europe each when I'm there in one single phone, I don't care about Bluetooth, camera, surfing the Web, etc.

The Verizon phones I'm looking at are the Samsung SCH-a790 and Motorola a840. Thanks.
 
Can't really say if one is better than the other as it is much too soon to really tell. And there are too few 8830s out there right now.

There will be many to argue that CDMA is better and just as many to say GSM is best. But the big issue on which is best, is the carrier gives you the best coverage where you use the device is the best one for you. Verizon's US (CDMA) network is much more extensive than T-Mo's GSM. Cingular actually rivals Verizon as the most extensive network in the US.

And I think Australia is GSM, not CDMA. More areas of the world use GSM than CDMA.
 
You should choose the option that will give you the best service in the area where you will use your mobile most.

Telstra operate a CDMA/GSM/HSDPA/UMTS network in Australia, however, their CDMA network is due to close in 2008.

GSM coverage in Europe is unlikely to be a problem; most European countries have blanket, or near blanket, coverage. From what I have read of other Americans travelling in Europe, the call quality on European GSM networks is better than the call quality on American GSM networks.
 
This is kind of what I was trying to ask--I guess breaking it down would make it as follows:

1) How well does T-Mobile service in the (northeastern) U.S. with a GSM-only phone compare to Verizon service in the same region with a combo CDMA/GSM unit? (of course the Verizon will probably be a *little* better, and I could find out on my own, but I've had one bad experience so far and I don't want to keep going through trying new phones from T-Mobile)

and

2) How well does Verizon service (with whomever they're networked) in (western/central/eastern) Europe on a combo CDMA/GSM phone compare with T-Mobile service in the same areas with a GSM-only phone? (again the latter is presumably better, but is there a *significant* difference?)

So if I could get a sense of the extent of the differences in the two places with the respective phones that would tell me which choice would provide the best overall coverage/quality for me.
 
I can't answer your first question, but I'll make a stab at the second. In terms of coverage there probably won't be a difference. As I said before coverage is extensive and you would probably have to go out of your way in most European countries to find somewhere that doesn't have coverage e.g. up a mountain (and some of them have coverage! ).

You may have noticed that European mobile reviews rarely, if ever, mention the reception quality of a handset. The reason for this is that coverage is pervasive and you should be able to get a decent signal in most places. Unless the reception of the CDMA-GSM handset is abysmal I don't think you would see any great difference between it and a GSM only handset.

The area you should be looking at, in my opinion, is price. T-Mobile USA may offer cheaper roaming rates when using their networks in Europe. Verizon Wireless is partly owned by Vodafone so again there may be a roaming deal if you use Vodafone networks in Europe.

T-Mobile and Vodafone do have networks in several European countries, but not all. If there are roaming deals available it would be worth checking if there is a compatible network in the country you will be visiting.
 
Back
Top