Unlocked iPhone 4S Will Only Work on GSM Carriers

[Guest]

yasir arfat saikh

 

[jacobdrj]

Pre-paid phones are the way to go... I can't stand all this contract stuff... Just shy of 1000 for a 64gb iPhone... No thanks. I'd consider it if they upped the storage a bit... Something in the 512gb range perhaps...

 

[eddieroolz]

Another reason the CDMA networks need to die quick. Or adopt a R-UIM card designed for CDMA carriers like au by KDDI of Japan.

 

[nottheking]

So much for the claim of it being a proper "world phone." Instead it's a GSM phone that has support for a couple of CDMA carriers tacked on... Except that actually using it in proper, unlocked "world phone" mode requires giving up the CDMA part. THAT is infuriating. I'm sure there's plenty of customers that will be put off by the lack of an option to use their preferred CDMA carrier in the USA, (as CDMA tends to be more common than GSM for 3G) and still have unlocked GSM support for when they travel to, say, Europe, where GSM is all but universal, and an unlocked GSM phone makes life infinitely easier.
[citation][nom]kellogg87[/nom]From what I understand, using CDMA isn't as simple as GSM in that you can't just switch networks by changing the sim card.[/citation]
Moreover, the part you might not have realized is that CDMA doesn't normally make use of SIM cards while GSM requires them.

[citation][nom]soldier37[/nom]then you have a sub par system, my graphics card and power supply cost that alone.[/citation]
"Par?" given that $850 puts it closer to the middle of Tom's 3 regular "system building contest" machines, with the cheat ~$500US one always being their most-popular, I'd doubt that $850 for a PC would be considered "sub-par."

[citation][nom]zlalaman2[/nom]Honestly, what does this phone offer to justify the high price range? Possibly it's the brand name?[/citation]
That, and Apple's idea that they should splurge on a rediculous 400+ dpi touchscreen before anyone else does, before the economy of scale can make them remotely affordable. Not too sure where the cost sits now, but IIRC that single part alone was over $300US when the original iPhone 4 first came out.

[citation][nom]WhysoBluepandabear[/nom]If the phone is unlocked, then it's not tied to a specific carrier, and no carrier has the "Right" to brick the phone.[/citation]
Moreover, if purchased in the USA, no matter who it might be tied to, no one but the purchaser has the right to brick the phone. (though the purchaser may grant this to a carrier in the case of theft protection) Since most countries in the world respect American patent law through treaty, foreign carriers would be required to acknowledge the right of First Sale to any holder of an American-purchased phone.

[citation][nom]watcha[/nom]Didn't think so.[/citation]
But let me ask you this question (for the first legitimate time it's appeared on Tom's in years) about your iPhone 4S...

...But will it play Crysis?

 

[Guest]

I'm confused. I thought the new iphone is compatible with CDMA and GSM. What does that mean if this article is true? Maybe I don't understand what "unlocked"means.

If its compatible with CDMA, why can't the unlocked version work with Verizon or Sprint?

 

[Guest]

Can somebody put me through this: will the siri feature on the iphone 4s work in other countries (especially third country gsm networks) when one travels, or is it obtainable only in the united states?

 

[Guest]

Is it the exact handset that's compatible with AT&T, but without their contract? Please, I need someone who can confirm the above.

 

[Guest]

I intend to buy the unlocked version, due to my travels betwix the USA, Germany and France...
Roaming is a mugger in corporate disguise!