Verizon: BYO Phone?

[Decade]

Taken from Engadget:

By the end of 2008, Verizon Wireless will open their network to any device which meets a "minimum technical standard." What that standard is, exactly, VZW isn't saying yet -- that will come in "early 2008." So any device (including applications) tested and certified in VZW's new $20 Million test lab is fair game for use on their wireless network. In other words, Verizon becomes the data pipe, and nothing more for these new "bring-your-own" customers. It's too early to say if this is a watershed moment or not. Verizon certainly thinks so with Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and chief executive officer, calling it, "a transformation point in the 20-year history of mass market wireless devices." As usual, the devil (certification fees, turnaround times for testing, those magical minimum technical standards, etc.) might be in the details.

P.S. In case you're wondering, Verizon is currently not a member of Android's Open Handset Alliance.

Update: More from Verizon on this. Dick Lynch, Verizon's CTO says, "If someone has the technical capability of building something in their basement on a breadboard ... have at it," which should quickly open the market to small-scale device companies. Also of note, only CDMA devices will be supported (naturally) and pricing should be "competitive."

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/27/verizon-wireless-opens-network-to-any-apps-any-device-in-2008/

Does this mean we can use any phone on Verizon if it meets their "techinical standards?" Does this mean it might finally be possible to use an iphone on Verizon networks? :eyepop:

Sorry, im a little confused at how to process this. What I think Im more concerned of is if we'll be able to use the Android application on Verizon as Verizon is not (as noted in the article) part of the android open handset alliance.

But...good? :confused:

[Radiance]

Speaking of android.... *drool* I want to mod my sidekick so bad, i've already started playing around with the development kit... who knows, maybe i'll have a brainstorm and win millions. :D

[Decade]

I didnt think much of the idea of google making an OS until I realized its google, and they have a LOT of potential.

Hell, it MUST be better than the Verizon OS Im forced to use now :bored:

[Radiance]

I think the main attraction to it for me is how customizable it is, I could write my own applications for basically whatever I want, it was fairly simple XML and java and even when it comes to the advanced program storage it uses SQLite which is really easy to pick up and it uses basic APIs to call everything for functions.

Hell, not only that but anyone can develop for it from an open download, I tried to do the same with the java development for the sidekick and just to sign up for it you had to jump through absurd hoops and such.

[Shuft]

Maybe someone here can answer a question I've asked on a number of tech blogs.

What frequencies do Korean CDMA carriers use?

[belladonna]

iPhone on verizon would be heavenly... or i could try and get an openMoko when they're released to the public

[Shuft]

iphone is GSM, verizon is CDMA

[Jetsetlemming]

This is maginificent. :D Really; the problem most providers have is people switching their phones to someone else's; this is Verizon instead opening their arms to whomever is switching that wants. Being able to move from provider to provider without having to buy a brand new phone is a good thing. Let's hope the trend continues.

[belladonna]

iphone is GSM, verizon is CDMA
can't they change the configuration or something (i have no idea, that's why i'm asking)

[Shuft]

No

GSM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM) networks use a completely different way of communicating than CDMA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA) networks. Even if the radio chips are capable of using the same frequencies, a GSM chip is only capable of sending or receiving a GSM signal, and a CDMA chip is only capable of sending or receiving a CDMA signal. The best analogy I can think of is trying to unlock your car with a garage door opener.

[belladonna]

oh... well that sucks royally

[Shuft]

Most companies produce their flagship phone in both flavors, but Apple is kinda a frosty biotch. I am in love with HTC though, so everything I say about smartphones should be taken with a grain of salt.

[belladonna]

i love Apple... but i love verizon.... i am sad!

[Decade]

Being able to move from provider to provider without having to buy a brand new phone is a good thing. Let's hope the trend continues.
The problem is that it has to meet Verizon's "Technical minimum standards," which they havent revealed yet. Lets just hope this doesnt lead to a bullshit story :meh:

Also, I wish Verizon was GSM. Gsm uses a dedicated stream for phone calls, CDMA divides it into packets and then tries to put them back together, of course you're going to lose quality in the call. GSM FTW

[belladonna]

The problem is that it has to meet Verizon's "Technical minimum standards," which they havent revealed yet. Lets just hope this doesnt lead to a bullshit story :meh:

Also, I wish Verizon was GSM. Gsm uses a dedicated stream for phone calls, CDMA divides it into packets and then tries to put them back together, of course you're going to lose quality in the call. GSM FTW
i've never had problems with verizon and have only heard bad things of att so... i refuse to go that route

[Decade]

Verizon is the best in the states it seems, but thats not a good thing.

IMO, the rest of the world has better cell phone plans and setups.

Sim cards, no contracts but cards you can buy instead for minutes, dedicated lines for phone calls for GSM phones, etc.

The states started getting phones like that, but its just not the same.

[Decade]

Taken from engadget:

In a recent chat with clients, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster did a little name dropping regarding Google's Open Handset Alliance, casually mentioning in passing that Verizon "is a member." Hold up there, chief; last time we checked, that isn't the case. Among US national carriers, only T-Mobile and Sprint have publicly thrown their hats into the Android ring, so we're not sure whether Mr. Munster knows something we don't (which is entirely possible) or whether he's just a little confused. For what it's worth, we can understand why he'd be confused in light of Verizon's recent commitment to open its airwaves to all comers -- the initiative appears to share much of the same spirit as the OHA's charter, after all -- but by the same token, Google's intention to snap up 700MHz bandwidth would seemingly pit the two juggernauts against one another. We'll have to wait and see whether Big Red's name magically appears on the Alliance's member list, but if it does, the pressure's gonna get pretty high on AT&T to cave, eh?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/30/android-fever-catch-it-verizon-joining-open-handset-alliance/

Please, say its true, say its not bullshit

[Shuft]

AT&T and Verizon don't need to join it. They profit from the status quo. As long as they let people put unlocked phones on their networks, they don't have to worry about losing customers because of it.

I don't know what officially being in the OHA would entail beyond that. All I can imagine is that Sprint and T-mobile will be subsidizing Android OS phones.

[Decade]

The only thing I actually know about Android and why im so excited about it is because its google's os. I honestly know nothing about it, nor whether it'll actually be any good, but I have high hopes that it'll be rather better than what I have now.

I gotta find out when thats expected to hit the market actually o.O

[Radiance]

Hmmm... semi-related to this thread, I was paying my bill online and noticed this quote on the t-mobile site.

"T-Mobile will be the exclusive German carrier of Apple's iPhone when it makes its debut in Germany on November 9th."

That kinda upsets me since i'd have paid the extra for an iphone if it wasn't on sprint's network. I've had enough of their network from both my nextel and metroPCS service. Dropped calls like they were infected with the plague.

[stsparky]

Hmmm... semi-related to this thread, I was paying my bill online and noticed this quote on the t-mobile site.
"T-Mobile will be the exclusive German carrier of Apple's iPhone when it makes its debut in Germany on November 9th."
That kinda upsets me since i'd have paid the extra for an iphone if it wasn't on sprint's network. I've had enough of their network from both my nextel and metroPCS service. Dropped calls like they were infected with the plague.
You can buy it unlocked cheaper in France. By law.

[Ironfrost]

You can buy it unlocked cheaper in France. By law.

You can buy it unlocked in France, but I don't know about "cheaper" (it's 999 Euro, or about $1500 US). It's the same in Germany (T-Mobile got ordered to sell unlocked model by the courts)

[Decade]

Jesus christ europe's expensive :box:

[Shuft]

Hmmm... semi-related to this thread, I was paying my bill online and noticed this quote on the t-mobile site.



That kinda upsets me since i'd have paid the extra for an iphone if it wasn't on sprint's network. I've had enough of their network from both my nextel and metroPCS service. Dropped calls like they were infected with the plague.
The iphone isn't on Sprint's network. It is only on AT&T in the US. You can get one and unlock it and use it for t-mobile though.

[Decade]

Almost forgot, a 3G iphone for next year has been announced. Big I guess, but I just have to go research now what exactly 3g is :confused:

[Shuft]

It is the third generation of mobile network. For the GSM standard (iPhone) it means HSDPA, HSUPA, and HSPA. For the CDMA standard it means EV-DO rev. 0, or EV-DO rev. A.

What it really means is more data bandwidth. The difference between edge (AT&T's 2.5G) and HSDPA is loading a web page in 1 minute or 10 seconds.

Where I live, 3g on a GSM phone is moot. AT&t doesn't have HSDPA in Davenport, Iowa, and T-mobile doesn't offer 3g anywhere yet. In the US, if you want higher data speeds and you don't live in a big city, you'd be better off going with either Sprint or Verizon (or Alltel if you're a yokel).



PS I just realized I have made almost 1/4 of all posts in this thread. If I'm dominating the discussion too much let me know. Mobile phones are kind of an interest of mine.

[stsparky]

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/200710282120.jpg

EDGE performance is pretty much 3G here.