Registered: Dec 2001
Location:
Posts: 2

Sprint PCS Phone working with Cignular

Hey Y'all-

Does anyone know, if I get the Sprint PCS phone, if I can use it with another cellular provider? or do I need to stay with Sprint?

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 441

Since Sprint uses CDMA only you can only use another provider that offers CDMA. Cingular uses GSM and is not compatible with CDMA phones. It is my understanding that Verizon is TDMA and AT&T might be CDMA but I'm not sure. Basically if you want to switch providers and still use the same phone that you have with Sprint call the individual providers and ask if it will work.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 201

quote:

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Originally posted by ashmed
Since Sprint uses CDMA only you can only use another provider that offers CDMA. Cingular uses GSM and is not compatible with CDMA phones. It is my understanding that Verizon is TDMA and AT&T might be CDMA but I'm not sure. Basically if you want to switch providers and still use the same phone that you have with Sprint call the individual providers and ask if it will work.

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What do you think, Sirs?

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 125

Only SOME Sprint phones will work on Verizon's network. Sprint uses CDMA 1900 while Verizon uses mainly CDMA 800 and a little CDMA 1900. If you are trying to switch a Sprint phone over to Verizon and are in a CDMA 1900 area, you'll probably end up using analog the majority of the time which is no good. However, some Sprint phones, such as the Kyocera 6035 are capable of accessing the CDMA 800 frequency, Sprint just doesn't utilize it on their network. But if you were to purchase that phone from Sprint and activate it on Verizon, that portion of the phone would then become active and you would be good to go. The Samsung I300 is a mystery as far as if the current model can access CDMA 800. It was tested successfully using both CDMA 800 and 1900 but as to whether or not Samsung and/or Sprint deactivated the CDMA 800 portion of the phone or chose not to include it on the I300s currently on the market in order to prevent people from switching the phone over to Verizon is unknown. Smasung claims the phone is dual-band only (not tri-band for Verizon) but that may just be a marketing ploy to discourage people from switching providers. It should be noted, however, that if you purchase any phone from Sprint with the intent of switching it over to Verizon, you will have to obtain the unlocking code from Sprint and only Sprint which will involve temporarily activating the phone for a $35 charge then immediately deactivating it. But assuming the phone is tri-band and therefore compatible with Verizon, it is no easy task reprogramming the phone (you better know what you are doing!). In short, if you were to try and move the I300 over to Verizon, you would be one of (if not the) first to atempt to do so. You may just want to wait until Verizon offers the I300 in approximately 1-3 months.

Marty