Compatabilty between Networks

[possmann]

OK - I've just watched the webcast for the release of the Palm Treo on the Windows Mobile OS - very cool. The only catch is that it is going to be exclusive to Verizon.

What does verizon use technology wise? Are they GSM as well? I know that I can have the same phone on Cing and T-Mobile - they both use GSM (while I think that only T-mo uses GPRS).

Anyone have a link or breakdown of technology by carrier?

[ARW]

OK - I've just watched the webcast for the release of the Palm Treo on the Windows Mobile OS - very cool. The only catch is that it is going to be exclusive to Verizon.

What does verizon use technology wise? Are they GSM as well? I know that I can have the same phone on Cing and T-Mobile - they both use GSM (while I think that only T-mo uses GPRS).

Anyone have a link or breakdown of technology by carrier?

Vzw is CDMA, as is Sprint, though there is only some compatibility between them due to different frequencies being used.

T-Mo and Cingular are GSM.

Nextel is iDen and isn't compatible with anything.

Those are the biggies in the US.

From personal experience I can tell you to avoid Vzw if you're into phones at all. They are very slow to release devices and you can only realistically use devices that are sold by Vzw. You'd be much better off going GSM as the handset makers focus on them because of the much greater audience.

Not aware of a list of carriers and technologies, but there's got to be one some where.

[Mike Temporale]

I would guess that we'll see a GSM version of the Treo 700w soon enough. If you look at the current Treo's on the market, they have one for each of the different networks - or pretty close. I imagine that they would be taking the same approach with the Windows Mobile version. If the device is popular enough, that is. :wink:

[possmann]

yeah I'm thinking that they will produce a GSM version soon enough... although when I hear about "exclusive" I'm thinking that at least a year will go by before we see a treo on GSM (sigh).

So that is my prediction - no treo on GSM until 2007.

Love that form factor though - beats anything else I have seen out there.

[Sven Johannsen]

I know that I can have the same phone on Cing and T-Mobile - they both use GSM (while I think that only T-mo uses GPRS)?FYI Cingular uses GPRS as well, and the EDGE technology is an extension of that. EDGE phones will drop back to GPRS speeds when EDGE isn't available.

[Mike Temporale]

when I hear about "exclusive" I'm thinking that at least a year will go by before we see a treo on GSM (sigh).

Actually, I read somewhere - and I can't find it now, that it was a 6 month exclusive. If that helps any. ;)