Don't get me started on this GSM/CDMA/WHOS PECKER IS BIGGER crap. GSM is crap in comparison, plain and simple.
GSM, is nothing more than TDMA with a differnet name that uses SIM cards for mobile identity. It still uses time division for duplexing it's channel capacity which leads to poor call quality.
Even GSM is going to a CDMA version of itself (WCDMA).
Hey, HoTSynC... I agree with your views on GSM, but since you seem to know something about the technology, do you have any insights into why Palm is going with GSM instead of CDMA on the upcoming Tungsten wireless?
I think the current focus on GSM over CDMA in the SmartPhone market space is really about the world situation. GSM is the legislated standard over most of Europe, and is used (but not legislated) in the USA, Austalia, and Japan. Thus, by producing a single GSM phone, a manufacturer is creating a phone which is useable all over the world.
On the other hand, CDMA is used only in Japan, Australia, and the USA, and even here in the USA, it is supported by a smaller number of providers (Verizon, Sprint, AllTel, Quest) even though that includes the largest provider of services (Verizon). A CDMA-only cell phone is therefore necesarily restricting its market and leaving out Europe entirely.
So, the philosophy among most SmartPhone manufacturers is "If we will only support one technology, make it GSM." Once SmartPhone companies decide to embrace multiple technologies, however, they always make CDMA the next on their list. Note the Handspring Treo which now has both GSM and CDMA models.
Hotsync and Nomad have it wired. The predominance of GSM is the only significant factor that is keeping GSM alive. From a network managment prespective, CDMA provides the most benifits to service providers, hands down.
I think that within the next decade, GSM as we know it will be all but a memory.
Agreed, and well put all! I remember reading this past year that hackers managed to decypher a GSM (audio) signal real-time in England. As I understand it, CDMA has much better encryption, and would take a computer upshot of a day and a half to decypher one second's worth of voice data. Plus, I've seen several websites devoted to hacking or emulating those SIM cards. True, no technology is impenetrable, but from what I've seen CDMA is far more secure.
GSm is the service of choice on many high end devices merely because it is the technology most widely used. Sine 60-70% of the worlds mobile users are GSM (Europe), the device makers are going to target the technology that is most widely used, thus giving them the greatest penetration into a market.
If they made the device in CDMA only, they would loose out on the largest wireless crowd. Smart device manufacturers would make the wireless platform modular and partner with CDMA/GSM/TDMA manufacturers to devise a variation for each.
Originally posted by HoTSynC GSm is the service of choice on many high end devices merely because it is the technology most widely used. Sine 60-70% of the worlds mobile users are GSM (Europe), the device makers are going to target the technology that is most widely used, thus giving them the greatest penetration into a market.
If they made the device in CDMA only, they would loose out on the largest wireless crowd. Smart device manufacturers would make the wireless platform modular and partner with CDMA/GSM/TDMA manufacturers to devise a variation for each.
Hotsync,
I agree with everything you say.
So why is Kyocera releasing a phone that only has the potential to reach a very small portion of the worldwide market? How profitable is this for them?
At the same time, isn't Verizon at some time going to realize that it will be left with the worst selection of phones that only work in limited places (at some point analog will be gone, and only Verizon and Sprint will support CDMA in the USA -- the rest will be GSM).
Sure I'm playing devil's advocate, and I'm a 6035 user and subscriber with BAM/Verizon for over 5 years. Verizon's phone selection sucks...unless you wait for the 7135. Long term, is Kyocera going to support this CDMA platform with limited sales oppurtunity? It really doesn't make sense to me.
Originally posted by glenn_butler At the same time, isn't Verizon at some time going to realize that it will be left with the worst selection of phones that only work in limited places (at some point analog will be gone, and only Verizon and Sprint will support CDMA in the USA -- the rest will be GSM).
In a word, no freaking way. Currently, CDMA coverage in the United States is greater than GSM. I can see a point in one to three years when US GSM coverage is about equal to CDMA coverage. But, in ten years, I am convinced that CDMA will be the prodominate wireless technology not just in the US, but worldwide.
So it just depends upon the long term vision of the companies.
Originally posted by terryg Currently, CDMA coverage in the United States is greater than GSM. I can see a point in one to three years when US GSM coverage is about equal to CDMA coverage.
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I think it will come faster than we all think as AT&T and Cigular convert over to GSM. This is much easier for TDMA carriers than it is for CDMA (and it's underway as we speak). AT&T/Cingular/T-Mobile are also happier to share resources while Sprint and Verizon stand alone.
The major phone manufactuters all view CDMA as a secondary market, and the entire industry views cute and sexy phones as the way to grow subscribers. Geeks like us aren't a real revenue source.
So why is Kyocera releasing a phone that only has the potential to reach a very small portion of the worldwide market? How profitable is this for them?
At the same time, isn't Verizon at some time going to realize that it will be left with the worst selection of phones that only work in limited places (at some point analog will be gone, and only Verizon and Sprint will support CDMA in the USA -- the rest will be GSM).
Sure I'm playing devil's advocate, and I'm a 6035 user and subscriber with BAM/Verizon for over 5 years. Verizon's phone selection sucks...unless you wait for the 7135. Long term, is Kyocera going to support this CDMA platform with limited sales oppurtunity? It really doesn't make sense to me.
Glenn
Kyocera bought out the wireless phone division of Qualcomm, and QCOM is the liscencer of CDMA technology. The two companies are currently very closely aligned - I dont know exactly how they are aligned - but I believe that Kyocera gets hardware and software first and at a discounted price from Qualcomm....and Qcom gets a cheerleader that pushes out products w/ the latest and greatest.
I personally dont think that analog is going anywere. Analog cell access points are dirt cheap (compared to the digital counterparts), the entire US is pretty much blanketed w/ analog signals (potential moneymaker for verizon when other cell phone customers roam unto analog), also analog signals can extend about 10x as far from the cell tower than digital signals - meaning that should a number of digital cell towers go down, verizon's analog service can prevent a TOTAL disruption of service.
About Verizons sucky phone selection, it is of their making....Verizon doesnt sell a number of phones for a myriad of reasons. My guess is verizon tries to play hard ball with the phone manufacturers, thinking that their (VZ) size will cause the manufacturers to bend to their will. I believe that EVERY sprint phone can be activated on Verizon after a 10 min trip to a VZ store.
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