The Frustrations of CDMA Devices

[Jason Dunn]

<i>(this article was written with Pocket PC Phone Edition devices in mind, but it applies equally to the Smartphone market, perhaps even moreso because CDMA devices are so rare)</i><br /><br />Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place: CDMA devices offer great transfer rates with EVDO, and in North America at least, UMTS is almost nowhere to be seen. So if you want speed, you need an EVDO device. As a Windows Mobile geek, my frustration is that there's not a lot of choice when it comes to devices. Worse, CDMA devices (well, outside of Korea at least) don't have SIM cards that can easily move from one device to another. Why is that so frustrating for me? A few years ago, Samsung sent me an i700 for review. I was excited to review it, and had emailed the head of PR for Telus (our CDMA carrier here) in Alberta. She agreed to loan me an account with 1xRTT data so I could test the device. Great right? Not quite.<br /><br />It turns out that Telus, like many CDMA carriers in North America, will not activate devices that originate from outside their network. Telus is particularly strict about this, because the engineers refused to activate the phone even with the PR person trying to convince them. Can you believe that? So, ultimately I had to send it to Janak to review, and he <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,20748">dished out an amazingly thorough review</a>.<!><br /><br />Three years later, the situation repeated itself: Microsoft sent me a Palm Treo 700w to review. I was looking forward to it, long being envious of the hardware design of the Palm OS Treo. This time, I knew Telus wasn't going to activate it, so I didn't even bother trying. It was pre-activated on the Verizon network, the idea being I'd just be on voice/data roaming here in Canada. I happily unpacked the box, charged it up...and promptly couldn't get any data service. A bit of debugging here and there, several emails back and forth with my contacts at Microsoft, and they opted to send me another one. The second 700w had exactly the same problem. :( This time I got connected directly with Verizon support and they were unable to explain why it wouldn't roam. So I ended up sending the second 700w back, and once again, Janak ended up <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,47663">writing a huge review</a> on the phone that I couldn't review (though he didn't get the phone from me this time). You'd almost think this was nothing more than me wanting to get Janak to write reviews once every three years. :lol:<br /><br />So in the end, it always comes back to the same things: CDMA devices, no matter how cool, are significantly less flexible when it comes to being able to easily connect to any carrier. Mobile device geeks like me don't wait for a device to be offered by carriers, especially not Canadian carriers who tend to be six to twelve months behind their counterparts in the USA (it used to be much worse, believe me). The <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,48473">Qualcomm announcement</a> is good news, but there's no indication of anything changing with regards to seeing SIM cards in CDMA phones. The CDMA carriers enjoy their lock-in power a little too much, and don't realize it's likely costing them more customers than it's keeping them.<br /><br />So I remain a GSM guy with a SIM card, always looking for the ultimate Windows Mobile device - and never being able to step into the realm of true wireless high-speed.

[Rocco Augusto]

i actually just had a debate with my samsung rep right before reading this article. the topic being, which is better, GSM or CDMA. we both had some great points and the battle was pretty close.... until i mentioned how difficult it is to move your number from device to device. when asked why someone would want to do that i replied with "you obviously dont know how many phones i have". i wear those devices like a lady would wear jewlery. diamonds? pfft, lets see your diamonds play my name is earl when you have a few minutes to spare ;)

[Jason Dunn]

And here's the stupid part: CDMA phones CAN have SIM cards! They do in Korea - it's JUST the North American carriers and their desire to lock in customers...

[Rocco Augusto]

And here's the stupid part: CDMA phones CAN have SIM cards! They do in Korea - it's JUST the North American carriers and their desire to lock in customers...

i dont think i would mind CDMA if i had the ability of a SIM card. the whole reason i use a GSM phone is because i like to change phones and travel throughout the US. of all the time i spent travelling i have always had better reception via GSM then i had with CDMA. now all my verizon friends get coverage in all the crazy places i get coverage so the only thing holding me back happens to be the lack of SIM cards... and smartphones, but ill let that slide until i get SIM cards :twisted:

[Kris Kumar]

On Pocket PC Thoughts, I thought some readers had mentioned that on Verizon you can log in to the online account, and switch service between compatible CDMA phones. Wouldn't that be the equivalent of the SIM card switch? :? Or is that not possible?

[mbranscum]

On Pocket PC Thoughts, I thought some readers had mentioned that on Verizon you can log in to the online account, and switch service between compatible CDMA phones. Wouldn't that be the equivalent of the SIM card switch? :? Or is that not possible?

Yes... read that too...was it Alltel?

[Arne Hess]

On Pocket PC Thoughts, I thought some readers had mentioned that on Verizon you can log in to the online account, and switch service between compatible CDMA phones. Wouldn't that be the equivalent of the SIM card switch? :? Or is that not possible?
Changing via a web interface is lame, why should I do so if I can do it easier but just changing the (U)SIM cards?
For instance last Friday, at the User Group Meeting, we tested EDGE with the HTC Hermes and one of my UG pals just plugged in his USIM since my carrier doesn't supports EDGE. No reason to go online, to change his account to my phone, just swapping the cards. That's what I call convenient.

[subzerohf]

Changing via a web interface is lame, why should I do so if I can do it easier but just changing the (U)SIM cards?
For instance last Friday, at the User Group Meeting, we tested EDGE with the HTC Hermes and one of my UG pals just plugged in his USIM since my carrier doesn't supports EDGE. No reason to go online, to change his account to my phone, just swapping the cards. That's what I call convenient.

I concur. Especially for people with "dumb" phones, the SIM card also functions as the address book. Can you imagine rekeying ALL of your phone book numbers when you get a new phone? If you have a CDMA "non-smart" phone, you have no choice, do you?

[Kris Kumar]

Changing via a web interface is lame, why should I do so if I can do it easier but just changing the (U)SIM cards?

I totally agree. But at least Verizon is providing something. Something is better than nothing. ;) That is if they do allow it. Can someone confirm this?

[Mark Larson]

I concur. Especially for people with "dumb" phones, the SIM card also functions as the address book. Can you imagine rekeying ALL of your phone book numbers when you get a new phone? If you have a CDMA "non-smart" phone, you have no choice, do you? Here's the beauty of CDMA - you pay the Verizon monkey $20 to do that, and erase half of your most important numbers in the process. You don't get the inconvenience of backing up your numbers, just like Jerry doesn't have any problems with wifi on his 2125. :lol:

[Rocco Augusto]

Here's the beauty of CDMA - you pay the Verizon monkey $20 to do that, and erase half of your most important numbers in the process. You don't get the inconvenience of backing up your numbers, just like Jerry doesn't have any problems with wifi on his 2125. :lol:

Here's the beauty of GSM - you save $20 ;)

[Kris Kumar]

Here's the beauty of GSM - you save $20 ;)

Here's the beauty of GSM - you save $20...every month! ;) ;)

* Based on monthly data rates

[Rocco Augusto]

Here's the beauty of GSM - you save $20 ;)

Here's the beauty of GSM - you save $20...every month! ;) ;)

* Based on monthly data rates

:lol: i almost didnt catch the small print :P

[Mike Temporale]

:lol: i almost didnt catch the small print :P

Of all people, you should be hip to the fine print. ;)

[Rocco Augusto]

seriously, i dunno where my head was to almost miss that :lol:

[maxnix]

It is not the device nor the carrier's tehcnology, it is the carrier's policies.

Nothing to do with the technology except the coincidence that the carrier chooses not to implement it fully (another policy faux pas indepedent of the technology).

[iJITSU]

Changing via a web interface is lame, why should I do so if I can do it easier but just changing the (U)SIM cards?

I totally agree. But at least Verizon is providing something. Something is better than nothing. ;) That is if they do allow it. Can someone confirm this?

Yes, with Verizon you can change phones within a few minutes using the web. Or at least you could a year or so ago when I had a short run with them.