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  1. #1
    Stevo89
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    Okay right now I have Virgin Mobile and I'm going to be switching to either Cingular, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless very soon. I noticed that the call quality I have with Virgin is very poor due to Sprint's network. The other day I used my friend's T-Mobile phone to make a call when I didn't have my phone, and I noticed that the call quality and clarity was excellent.

    Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM technology, while Sprint and Verizon use CDMA technology. How is the call quality between Sprint/Virgin and Verizon? How is the call quality between Verizon and T-Mobile/Cingular? Which carrier do you prefer and think is best?

    Also keep in mind that I live in southern California around the Los Angeles area and I travel out of state usually only once a year to areas that aren't extremely rural so the whole analog roaming crap with CDMA phones doesn't really apply to me.

    Thanks.


    See More: CDMA vs. GSM call quality




  2. #2
    Stevo89
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    Can anybody give me a reply with an answer to my question??? Out of over 500 views, somebody has to have an answer!
    Last edited by Stevo89; 10-04-2004 at 01:57 PM.



  3. #3
    matt3180
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    GSM is usually stronger in the cities, but in rural areas it's pathetic mainly because the networks are newer and just haven't had time to be built up. CDMA has analog coverage, so you'll get reception in places you wont' with GSM, as well as places inside buildings where it can use analog. I'd go with Verizon, unless the other companies had a very good offer to you and you don't leave a big city much.

    Hopefully this'll clear it up a bit for you



  4. #4
    Ralvarez
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    Listen here is the deal, GSM is a worldwide network with alot of perks to it. Also GSM has expanded across the US in vast ways. CDMA sucks and will always suck its a old network and who now a days wants something that is old tech?!?! answer me that and you have your answer



  5. #5
    erwin 10-4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stevo89
    Okay right now I have Virgin Mobile and I'm going to be switching to either Cingular, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless very soon. I noticed that the call quality I have with Virgin is very poor due to Sprint's network. The other day I used my friend's T-Mobile phone to make a call when I didn't have my phone, and I noticed that the call quality and clarity was excellent.

    Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM technology, while Sprint and Verizon use CDMA technology. How is the call quality between Sprint/Virgin and Verizon? How is the call quality between Verizon and T-Mobile/Cingular? Which carrier do you prefer and think is best?

    Also keep in mind that I live in southern California around the Los Angeles area and I travel out of state usually only once a year to areas that aren't extremely rural so the whole analog roaming crap with CDMA phones doesn't really apply to me.

    Thanks.
    (gsm) global system for mobile communication (cdma) code division multiple access (tdma) time division multiple access. when i comes to connecting tdma and cdma are better. they are like water that always looking for a way to get connected. gsm is like a hi-way. once there is a traffic they get stock (to much user). im not a cdma and tdma, user i use gsm, im just explaning how this network works



  6. #6
    enothing
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    GSM is easier to get and you can use it anywhere in the world. You go to another country and still use ur phone if you buy a new chip.
    CDMA in the U.S. is very good. I would say that its the best technology. The call quality is superior to GSM.



  7. #7
    kdholdom
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    ^^sorry i disagree w/ u enothing gsm is way better than cdma. i dont like the raspy quiet sound of cdma. gsm sounds clear and very loud...equal to a landline
    Last edited by kdholdom; 06-25-2005 at 03:25 PM.



  8. #8
    erwin 10-4
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    o.k i don't have to argue with you!!!! how long do you know about cdma and tdma? they the first technology here in the u.s. even around the world. when gsm kicks in and easy to play all cdma and tdma network is gone. i can say gsm is a fast growing network but cdma and tdma is the best. sometimes on your gsm when you making a call your phone say SYSTEM BUSY and your call cannot go thru. this is not happening to cd and td, they allways looking for a short cut just to connect to the person you are calling. japan have the best techonogy and all we know when it come to tecknology they the best. why japan use cdma instead of gsm? because as i said cd and td are the best. you know how to research! why don't you research first before disagree with me.



  9. #9
    kdholdom
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    erwin i have had both telus (CDMA) and fido (GSM) for 5 years. telus kicked fidos ass untill about 3 years aago. now fido is so good. i mean u cant compare the voice quality as they r so diffrent. i just droped telus for it being so bad. mabi fido has done a beter job w/ gsm than us providers...i dont know. i cant compare apple to oranges.



  10. #10
    erwin 10-4
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    just always think about japan and korea. they almost cover the world with their product. (cars, t.v, dvd camcoder, comp, ect.) but look at this 2 countries they still use cdma. japan use WCDMA and korea use CDMA. why? because cdma transfer everything very fast. pictures,logo, ect. if you have a gsm and the international roaming is activate you can go to any country in the world and if you check your phone you still have signal. go to japan with your int. roaming sim your not gonna get any signal. you have to rent a phone to them and put your sim into that phone in order to make a call. this is what cdma do. they good but i think here in the u.s to operate gsm is alot cheaper than operating a cdma. but if you gonna ask me! i still want gsm. as i said they cheap to operate and the tri-band phone can be use anywhere except japan and korea.



  11. #11
    enothing
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    Gsm is a more global service than cdma. If you want a phone that works outside the US, you better get a gsm phone unlocked.

    I love my cellys



  12. #12
    Dr. Pasquale
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    I think it all depends on where you use your phone and
    what you use it for. I live in a semi rural area and seldom
    ever go to the City (SF). I avoid the freeway whenever
    possible and I don't fly on commercial airlines anymore.
    Only on private Jets. I have iDEN- Motorola's propriatary
    network now and it works very well in my house and
    most places that I need to use it around here.
    Motorola now makes a " world phone" that works here in
    the US at 800 to 870Mhz and European GSM at 900Mhz.
    American GSM in 1900Mhz, and there is no sharing with
    the old rural AMPS system in most of the mountainous
    areas that I need to use a phone, but neither does iDEN.
    But American GSM is getting better and it will probably
    take at least 5 years before they can catch up to the old
    TDMA networks that they want to bump out of buiness.
    Who knows, maybe they will never catch up.Basically I
    think GSM is for flatlanders (city folk) who are used to
    waiting in line for everything, and can tolerate a lot of
    noise and delays. I have had Verizon (GTE Mobilnet) CDMA
    that I was not happy with the dropped calls and poor
    voice quality, kinda sounded digitally-tinney. The very
    best service I have had was with AT&T TDMA. The best
    voice quality and NO dropped calls, and it worked in more
    places than any other carrier for me.I had Nextel iDEN
    6 years ago and it sounded digitally, but now I think it
    has improved greatly, and I am a firm beliver in Motorola
    phones and radio equipment. I don't really know but all
    my friends who have other phones besides Motorola don't
    have any way to hook up an external antenna and amplifier
    if need be. Motorola developed the first radio phones and
    I trust them to deliver the best quality and durability.



  13. #13
    alltelcellular
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    Quote Originally Posted by erwin 10-4
    just always think about japan and korea. they almost cover the world with their product. (cars, t.v, dvd camcoder, comp, ect.) but look at this 2 countries they still use cdma. japan use WCDMA and korea use CDMA. why? because cdma transfer everything very fast. pictures,logo, ect. if you have a gsm and the international roaming is activate you can go to any country in the world and if you check your phone you still have signal. go to japan with your int. roaming sim your not gonna get any signal. you have to rent a phone to them and put your sim into that phone in order to make a call. this is what cdma do. they good but i think here in the u.s to operate gsm is alot cheaper than operating a cdma. but if you gonna ask me! i still want gsm. as i said they cheap to operate and the tri-band phone can be use anywhere except japan and korea.
    Actually, WCDMA is a new form of GSM. It is not CDMA, and phones that use CDMA can not access this band. By the way, CDMA kicks butt when it comes to rural coverage and in-building penetration. However, GSM offers better phone selection and rate plans. So basically, it just depends on what you need/want. If you are willing to sacrifice the rural coverage of CDMA for a cool phone on GSM, I would say go for it. But, if you can't get service with GSM where you need it, and don't care if you don't have a top-notch phone (even though there are some NICE CDMA phones out there) then go with CDMA. It all depends on your personal preferance.

    P.S. On the Voice Quality question. On CDMA you can have one digital bar and carry on a converation the same as if you had full-signal. On GSM (or at least with Cingular) if you only have 1 or 2 bars, voices sound garbled and distorted.



  14. #14
    Dr. Pasquale
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    What makes a top notch phone ?

    A top notch phone to me is metal, not plastic. It has to have all the new
    generation features that I need. I definetely don't need bluetooth, because I am trying to minimumize RF transmissions around me. I
    would never wear a tranceiver on my head, and only use a real car kit
    with external antennae in my vehicles, so if your Kiocera phone doesn't
    offer a real car kit it is definately not top notch. I think the cameras
    offered in this country are no where near top notch- a free 1.3 megapixel
    camera only adds thickness and weight to a phone. I need at least 5
    megapixels. Check out a Sony T1 camera.
    A top notch phone to me is the smallest , slimest, lightest , compatible
    with TDMA (most Powerful) network that has a speakerphone and a REAL
    car kit availible that has the best voice quality. My i830 has text
    messaging but I don't have time for pecking at a little phone during my
    workday, I use a computer for text. If I do any traveling to other
    countrys it's for vacation and if I need to call I'll use a land line, and I
    would never bring my laptop computer to the beach, the sand would ruin
    the computer and the computer would ruin the vacation. I guess it all
    boils down to whatever makes your boat float.
    Last edited by Dr. Pasquale; 07-26-2005 at 08:05 PM.



  15. #15
    PILMAN
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    There seems to be a lot of mis-information regarding CDMA and GSM

    GSM. Advantages are you have a huge phone selection and as long as the phones unlocked and supports the band it will work on any GSM provider such as cingular or t-mobile in the states. Voice quality? I have only used t-mobile and the voice sounded very robotic, it sounded great on my end but horrible to other users and they said I was always staticy sounded bad. Used a v600, samsung e105, and their pocket pc phone edition. GSM Phones are also normally smaller and coverage is great in the metro areas. Battery live is good too.

    CDMA. I currently use Verizon and while the phone selection isn't big, that isn't to say the phones aren't good. Most people get the idea that "CDMA" phones are big and ugly and old. Look at sprint, yeah some bad coverage but they have some of the best phones in the US right now. Verizon although not having too many good phones has released some nice phones (LG VX8100 is a pretty sweet phone). Alltel has also released some decent phones as well. The phones are bigger because they use the Qualcomm chip hence the phone is just slightly bulkier than the GSM sets. Battery life is not as good but coverage is exellent.

    CDMA is not older than GSM. You have to remember Europe never had the infrastructure for landlines like america and hence MUCH more people use cells there. CDMA is a much newer technology and was built from the ground up to work with data, it has a higher capacity. GSM was built mainly for voice. GSM is pretty much TDMA but a world standard for europe, and a large portion of asia. CDMA is moreso for south korea, japan, and north america. W-CDMA is not the same as CDMA, it's actually a better version of GSM. Nextel is NOT GSM despite using a sim card OR CDMA. They used the iDEN technology. It's actually quite funny because there are so many people that are not tech savvy many still think cell phones are analog or use satellites.



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