On Jul 29, 2011, at 2:31 PM, Jim Warthman wrote:

> Perhaps this discussion of standards would be simpler if we separate voice 
> and data.

Why?  voice is not GSM and data is not W/CDMA.  On a 3G link, both go over 
W/CDMA.

W/CDMA uses a GSM compatible command/control layer but the actual broadcast 
layer is totally different.

> 
> Enjoy,
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> On Jul 29, 2011, at 12:44 PM, objectwerks inc wrote:
> 
>> 
>> On Jul 29, 2011, at 1:31 PM, Scott G. Lewis wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> On Jul 29, 2011, at 1:07 PM, Scott G. Lewis wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Unless your boss needs to be on Verizon, then he would use the GSM iPhone,
>>>> 
>>>> You mean WCDMA iPhone. The original iPhone was the last GSM iPhone. Sure, 
>>>> the current iPhones support GSM when they have to fall back to it.
>>> 
>>> I suspect the phrasing bit me on that. I meant unless he needed to be on 
>>> Verizon.... he would use a GSM iPhone.
>> 
>> The last GSM iPhone was the original iPhone.    The 3G and on iPhones use 
>> W/CDMA (which is different than the CDMA variant used by Verizon, Sprint, et 
>> al).  AKA  "UMTS"
>> 
>> W/CDMA uses a CDMA type signaling with a GSM type control/command layer.  
>> Since it uses the same sort of control/command layer as GSM it is an easier 
>> upgrade to GSM for 3G service than other 3G type services.   But note that 
>> not all W/CDMA/UMTS carriers support GSM nor are all W/CDMA/UMTS carriers 
>> upgraded to it from GSM.   Both NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank in Japan, and the 
>> Korean users, for example, did not have GSM networks in existence when they 
>> introduced their W/CDMA/UMTS networks.
>> 
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W-CDMA_(UMTS)
>> 
>>> But that said, the non-CDMA iPhone is GSM... no?
>> 
>> See above.
>> 
>> The iPhone 3G/3GS/4 are commonly called GSM phones.  They do support GSM as 
>> a fall back but normally run on W/CDMA/UMTS unless it is not available.  
>> They are dual mode phones.    GSM does not allow concurrent voice and data.  
>> W/CDMA does, which is why the iPhone supports it.
>> 
>>> Have I lost my mind, and has Wikipedia failed me to boot?
>>> 
>>> In any event, as you mentioned, other than the CDMA iPhone for Verizon, it 
>>> works all over.
>> 
>> Exactly.  Which is why Apple sells it all over as well, including non GSM 
>> places like Korea and Japan.
>> 
>>> What the roaming charges are... that's another story. :) 
>> 
>> true.  We are going to Japan in a month and a half and which is why I am 
>> going to try this:
>> 
>> http://applenberry.com/store/gevey-sim/gevey-ultra.html
>> 
>> with a local SIM card my SIL is going to get for me there.   That along with 
>> 
>> http://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/
>> 
>> Will hopefully help me out on that front.  I will be sticking my normal ATT 
>> sim in a NOKIA for the trip so that people in an emergency can call me 
>> directly.
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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