Will Verizon iPhone 5 allow talk n surf, if used with GSM prepaid SIM?

[zrxoa1]

Just curious...

I know it doesnt if used on Verizon, but wondered about utilizing the factory unlocked status to try out prepaid gsm sim card.

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[rayz336]

I'm assuming it would since it will be using the GSM technology

 

[gordol]

I'm assuming it will not because it's a Verizon / CMDA legacy phone.

LTE itself is based on GSM, but a Verizon iPhone will not talk and surf at the same time even when in an LTE covered area even though an Android LTE phone on VZW will. Last rumor I heard on why is that the current LTE implementation actually requires two radios to be used at the same time, and the AT&T iPhone falls back to the 3G GSM for the second radio, but the VZW iPhone does not fall back to the 3G CDMA radio for this. Whether it's because of programming or incompatibility issues, I do not know.

 

[wolfedude88]

Wouldn't the Verizon iPhone actually fall back to 3G CDMA because it isn't always on LTE so it would have to. Also they don't use LTE for calls either.

I thought with Verizon iPhone 5 it only had one radio where android LTE phones had two separate ones.

Not sure about that but I thought I read something like that about that.

I do know there are only a select few android phone that have been able to use voice and data on 3G.

I would think the Verizon iPhone 5 would work with voice and data on AT&T. It won't be using LTE on AT&T anyways so im thinking with HSPA+ and 3G wouldn't have issues on AT&T

 

[sting7k]

I'm assuming it will not because it's a Verizon / CMDA legacy phone.

LTE itself is based on GSM, but a Verizon iPhone will not talk and surf at the same time even when in an LTE covered area even though an Android LTE phone on VZW will. Last rumor I heard on why is that the current LTE implementation actually requires two radios to be used at the same time, and the AT&T iPhone falls back to the 3G GSM for the second radio, but the VZW iPhone does not fall back to the 3G CDMA radio for this. Whether it's because of programming or incompatibility issues, I do not know.

I don't think either AT&T or Verizon are carrying voice over LTE yet. For what ever reason Android phones on Verizon handle data over LTE at the same time as voice over CDMA and the iPhone simply doesn't. Maybe it's something Apple has to do.

 

[Jaguarr40]

I don't think either AT&T or Verizon are carrying voice over LTE yet. For what ever reason Android phones on Verizon handle data over LTE at the same time as voice over CDMA and the iPhone simply doesn't. Maybe it's something Apple has to do.

In order to have a VZW phone - iPhone no matter IP5 or 4S You would have to be on WIFI and then you can talk and surf at the same time. This is the ONLY way it will work because of CDMA period and nothing to do with 4G LTE.

 

[gordol]

Wouldn't the Verizon iPhone actually fall back to 3G CDMA because it isn't always on LTE so it would have to. Also they don't use LTE for calls either.

Correct. Currently, LTE is only used for data. But the iPhone does not run the CDMA and LTE radios at the same time. On GSM carriers, when on a call, it runs both on GSM but on either, when not on a call it runs data on LTE (when available).

I thought with Verizon iPhone 5 it only had one radio where android LTE phones had two separate ones.

I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. LTE and CDMA are two different technologies. LTE is a generational step up from GSM, so I would think that all LTE devices on VZW have two cellular radios, LTE and CDMA.

I would think the Verizon iPhone 5 would work with voice and data on AT&T. It won't be using LTE on AT&T anyways so im thinking with HSPA+ and 3G wouldn't have issues on AT&T

A VZW phone will not work on AT&T, full-stop.

 

[gordol]

In order to have a VZW phone - iPhone no matter IP5 or 4S You would have to be on WIFI and then you can talk and surf at the same time. This is the ONLY way it will work because of CDMA period and nothing to do with 4G LTE.

No, it's the iPhone. LTE Androids on VZW can talk and do cellular data at the same time in LTE covered areas. This is a feature of LTE that the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint do not support, but most Droids do.

 

[kch50428]

...all LTE devices on VZW have two cellular radios, LTE and CDMA.

Correct... but with the iPhone, only one cellular radio is active at any given time.

 

[gordol]

No US carriers support Voice over LTE. CDMA does not support voice and data at the same time. 3G GSM does. So a Verizon iPhone 5 with an AT&T SIM should support voice and data at the same time.

That SIM in the VZW device is for LTE or international roaming. If you think you can put a VZW iPhone on AT&T, go ahead and unlock the device and try it. I bet it will fail.

 

[ghostface147]

It'll work fine, but you can't access the LTE portion of AT&T's network or nearly all non verizon LTE bands. I've done it.

 

[Jaguarr40]

No, it's the iPhone. LTE Androids on VZW can talk and do cellular data at the same time in LTE covered areas. This is a feature of LTE that the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint do not support, but most Droids do.

Just to clarify if you reread my post I acknowledge that it is iPhone only by saying be it IP5 or 4S.

 

[zrxoa1]

No, it's the iPhone. LTE Androids on VZW can talk and do cellular data at the same time in LTE covered areas. This is a feature of LTE that the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint do not support, but most Droids do.

Not sure if you realized or not, but most of the Verizon LTE Androids can also talk n surf even when on 3G, they don't have to be on LTE.



So, after reading thru all of this, my concensus is that the Verizon iPhone 5 (which is factory unlocked...) will indeed talk n surf when using an Att or Att mvno SIM.

I wish I would have kept my first one. I got one of the first preordered units, a black 64gb version. Kept it a month but chose to go back to android and sold the five on eBay for $1000.

I tend to bounce back n forth between ios and android. I like them both. I wish apple would give the iPhone full Bluetooth freedom. That is one of my hates that swings me back to android at times.


Anyway, thanks for the info folks. Greatly appreciated!



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[natasftw]

That SIM in the VZW device is for LTE or international roaming. If you think you can put a VZW iPhone on AT&T, go ahead and unlock the device and try it. I bet it will fail.

It comes unlocked, so I doubt I'd put much faith in your knowledge base in this given topic.

 

[wolfedude88]

That SIM in the VZW device is for LTE or international roaming. If you think you can put a VZW iPhone on AT&T, go ahead and unlock the device and try it. I bet it will fail.

Actually you are wrong, the Verizon iphone 5 does not have to be unlocked because it actually comes unlocked out of the box. I have used it on AT&T with an AT&T sim just to try it out. I did not however try it while calling and trying to use data.

But I can say with a fact the Verizon iphone 5 does work on AT&T and so do a few others phones from Verizon.

 

[wolfedude88]

Of course Verizon wouldn't, lol.

 

[gordol]

Actually you are wrong, the Verizon iphone 5 does not have to be unlocked because it actually comes unlocked out of the box. I have used it on AT&T with an AT&T sim just to try it out. I did not however try it while calling and trying to use data.

Ok, I stand corrected. Thank you.

 

[wolfedude88]

Ok, I stand corrected. Thank you.

No problem man. It's really nice to have just in case you need to switch.

 

[tdawson0926]

I have an Verizon iPhone 5 unlocked which all Verizon iPhones come unlocked and I have it with AT&T service and it works just find I can also talk and surf without any problems at all

 

[mulasien]

but most Droids do.

Minor nit, but this just drives me nuts:

Droid is a Verizon brand given to several of their Android phones.

Android is the Google-run OS that exists on all carriers, and is correct in this vernacular.

Droids run on the Android OS, but is one of many brand of phones that run on Android.

That's like saying that "Dells are able to run this program" when in fact they mean Windows.

Minor nit, but it's one of my bigger pet peeves. Sorry to crap on your comment.